On April 6^th, Adam and I got to check out Yukon Blonde, with Red Cedar and In-Flight Safety at The Biltmore Cabaret. Before the show we got to sit down with Yukon Blonde guitar player/vocalist Brandon Scott, as well as touring bassist/Red Cedar vocalist/guitarist, Andy Bishop. We had a solid chat about upcoming Yukon Blonde tours, SXSW, the new album, as well as some upcoming Red Cedar news. So guys just started your tour, correct? B: Today is the first day of this tour. We just got home from the LAST tourA: Last night. Haha. How long were you on the road for that tour? B: A month and a half. It took us from Vancouver, to Toronto, Montreal. Then we did SXSW, the coast of the States, went through Canada again, and then LA last week.How was SXSW? B: It was fantastic. We had three showcases there, which went great. We met some pretty cool people.Do you have any intriguing stories from SXSW? A: It snowed the last day before we left. In Texas, which was kind of crazy.B: It did snow! It was scorching hot the whole time then this crazy storm came out of nowhere.Saw some crazy good bands there too, man. It was so cool.Have you been to the states before for any major tours? B: We played CMJ festival in New York last fall. That was the only show we really did. Other than that this was our first major trip to the states.Do you find the crowds on American tours to be different compared to Canadian crowds? B: I found they’re pretty much the same. Austin was a little crazier; we had some pretty good turnouts there, which was surprising. And a lot of people new the lyrics to our songs, which was cool to see. We had a pretty good San Francisco show. There were quite a few people that knew the tunes.A: It’s surprising too. You didn’t know there would be people into it, but they all seemed to be digging it.

Do you guys still find it refreshing to play ‘hometown’ shows, or have you played the scene in Vancouver so much that you just want to get out? B: Nah, I haven’t played that much in Vancouver, yet. Like we’ve done a handful of shows, but it still feels like we’re breaking in the scene here. It doesn’t feel like anyone knows us still. It’s still exciting.What about Red Cedar, you guys seem to play around here quite frequently? A: Yeah we play pretty often. This is like my second home. With Red Cedar, we’ve been playing here for two years, at least once every month, or every second month, so I’m stoked to be home. It feels pretty good to come back and hang out with everybody.The Yukon Blonde CD release party is tonight, but the record has been out Feb.9? B: We never got to have a CD release party for it, though. We started out in Kelowna last time, and just went from there and never really got to play VancouverYou guys were originally from Kelowna, why’d you move to Vancouver? B: Yeah, we just needed to branch out. There’s not much you can do there at some points. Like we we’re there for five years and then we thought we’d branch out to Vancouver. We moved here in May. So far, so good!When did Yukon Blonde start writing the record? B: We started writing last October [2009] I guess. We took a year off from touring, our van crashed so we had no way of getting around anyways, so it was kind of a good motivational thing to lock ourselves down and just write the record. Then we got it produced over the summertime, recorded it in August over eight days and got it out in February.What kinds of bands were influencing the sound of this record? B: We had a lot of Rolling Stones influence and you know, the older bands. Jeff was getting into the Afro-beat kind of stuff and the Flaming Lips were a big influence. We had a big band trip to watch them and we were all like “whoa!”.What kind of response have you been getting from the Yukon Blonde record? B: It’s been pretty much all good. We haven’t gotten any terrible reviews yet, so we’re crossing our fingers on that one. It’s been unbelievable.What about Red Cedar, they’re putting out a new record in the coming weeks? A: Yeah, we did a full length last year with Colin Stewart at The Hive studios in Burnaby. We’re lucky enough to get to record with him.We’ve been sitting on it, so we’re just going to start giving it away for free because its just better to get it out. Just go to www.redcedarmusic.com, and click and you can get our new record for free. We’re going to do a hard copy release in July, but for now everyone can just go online to get it.

What kind of contributors did you guys have on the record? B: Jeff [Innis] is kind of the main writer. He’ll kind of bring a song to the table, pre-recorded, he’s really good at that kind of stuff, and we’ll finish the song. We had Shawn Cole produce it, rearrange some of our screw ups.We had a few other people playing on the record. We had Darcy Hancock from Ladyhawk do some stuff, and Dan Moxon from Bend Sinister came to do some organ to fill it up a little. They did some fantastic work for us.You guys are just heading out on tour with In-Flight Safety. Where are you guys playing next? B: We’re in Victoria next. Then Kelowna, Courtney, Canmore, Calgary, Edmonton, Grand Prarie. Haven’t been there before.But Red Cedar won’t be on that tour, right? Is Red Cedar just going to kick it around Vancouver for the time being?A: Yeah, we’re not on that tour. Red Cedar is going to stay here while I’m gone with Yukon Blonde, then we’re thinking of going on a Canadian tour in August.You guys just shot a video for “Wind Blows”.  Are you guys starting to get rotation on TV? B: It’s been on “The Wedge” as far as we know.That’s pretty much the only venue for indie-rock on Much Music. B: Yeah, that’s the only good program on Much Music, as far as I’m concerned and that’s cool. I used to watch that growing up, so it’s a pretty big honour . It’s cool to be on. Who came up with the concept for the “Wind Blows” video? B: Those were our good friends at Amazing Factory. They’re friends of the We Are the City guys, they’re cousins. They came up with the treatment, gave us a little sample of them doing a cut of the same maneuvers on their own. We thought it was amazing. That was actually Andy’s home that we filmed it in.Oh really! So you just rented it out for one day? A: I didn’t rent it out; I got no money for it! But you know, we had fun. Now our house is famous, and not just for the wild parties!Thanks a lot guys! Afterwards, we were treated to absolutely amazing show at possibly one of the best venues around town. Both Red Cedar and In-Flight Safety were fantastic opening for Yukon Blonde. Red Cedar exercised their proficient brand of folk-rock, while In-Flight Safety impressed with their inviting pop-rock. Yukon Blonde capped the night with a stellar set, playing tracks off of their latest album. Their air-tight harmonies with big guitar sound translated perfectly live as they captivated the crowd with their unique blending of high-energy classic-rock and concise indie-pop. A definite must see if the opportunity ever provides itself. Check out Yukon Blonde at www.yukonblonde.com. You find their record at most music retailers, or online from their website or iTunes. Also, take a moment to go to www.redcedarmusic.com to get the latest Red Cedar record for free.

Words & Interview: Jamie CessfordPhotos: Adam Greenberg